Phoenix Body Fat Scale Manual

NOTE: Also please see  our Phoenix Advanced Q&A / Troubleshooting Page

Low Batteries & bad battery connections are the #1 cause of scale malfunction and inaccuracy!   We test all of our scale returns from consumers. Fully 60% of consumer returns are battery related problems. This sounds silly but it's true! A scale will perform slowly, or read inaccurately when it has low batteries. Please replace the batteries often (and only use good quality batteries). We include good quality batteries with all of our scales but batteries can run low in storage.  If your scale simply won't turn on while on Battery power,  this is often caused by loose battery connections.  Battery prongs (terminals) are made of metal. They must be making good contact with your batteries in order for the scale to power on.  You can use a paperclip to slightly bend the battery prongs to make them have a better connection. Also some poorly designed batteries have recessed or partially obstructed battery terminals. This may cause your prongs to be touching the plastic housing of the battery instead of the metal battery terminal.  

ERR codes:   If your XL consistently shows ERR3,  ERR4 or any other ERR code,  this means the sensor or circuitry has been damaged by water or shock.  It is not possible for you to resolve this damage without sending the scale in for repair.  If this was not caused by an accident or abuse (ie dropping the scale in a tub of water,  getting the scale excessively wet, etc..) then please send the scale in for warranty repair 

 

INSTRUCTIONS, CAUTIONS & FEATURES

Congratulations on purchasing a genuine My Weigh Phoenix Scale.

You now own a Personal Scale of proven technical design

and highest quality.

We hope that you will enjoy the use of your new Personal

Digital Scale.  You can visit us at www.Myweigh.com

 

WARNING: This scale may interfere with pacemakers and other electronic

Medical devices.  Do not allow anyone to use this device

That uses a pacemaker or other electronic medical device!!

• Function: Auto power off, tare function, Readings in kg or lb

• Calibrated to: 150 kg (330 lb)

• Graduations: 100 g (0,2 lb)

• Accuracy: +- 100 g (0,2 lb)

• Weight deviation: +-1%

• Graduation of the body fat display: 0,1 %

• Optimum temperature range: 20 °C +- 10 °C / 80 °F +/-  60 °F

• Extra large Backlit display

• Memory for 10 people

• Battery: 1x 9V

               !! Before using the Phoenix Scale be sure to read all the

               instructions very carefully.  This Instruction Manual has been written for your

               information. Its contents are not part of a contract. All specifications are only

               for guidance. The specifications are subject to change without notice.

 

 

 

Related Scales

Scale: Phoenix Body Fat Scale

My Weigh Body Fat Scale Common Questions

Q: Are there certain people for whom the monitor is not appropriate?
A: Yes, People with pacemakers or other medical implants are advised not to use the monitors. Although there are no known health risks, this is a precaution that is advocated by all manufacturers of BIA Devices. Fat Percentage accuracy can be an issue for certain small categories of people listed below, but the Phoenix BIA may still be used to monitor trends and accurately show degree of change. The following categories of people may not get highly accurate readings from the Phoenix BIA method:

• People who have a body fat rate of less then 7%
• Pregnant women
• People who exceed the weight capacity of the scale (models vary) and/or exceed 75% body fat

Q: How accurate and reliable are My Weigh Body Fat Monitor/Scales?
A: Independent research at several major universities (including Columbia University in New York City) has confirmed that in clinical settings, BIA is accurate within +/- 5 percentage of the institutional standard of body composition analysis--Dual Energy X-ray Absorptiometry (DEXA). It should be made clear that there is only one method of calculating body composition that is close to 100% accurate, and that is an autopsy. We believe the BIA method to be the most convenient and accessible to accurately predict body composition. Phoenix's Body Fat Monitor results are repeatable to within +/- 1 percent variation when used under consistent conditions.

Q: What conditions might cause skewed results or an "Error" reading in the display?
A:

• Hydration fluctuations which may result from alcohol or food consumption, sleep, intense exercise, medication or pre-menstruation.
• A very full bladder.
• Severe calluses on heels or soles of feet (about 1/400 people tested).
• Unclean or scratched foot pads may interfere with conductivity.
• Nylons interfere with conductivity. If it is absolutely necessary to measure in nylons, use a drop of isopropyl (rubbing) alcohol on the foot pads to act as a conductor.
• Using the scale on a carpeted or unstable surface
• Interference from Cordless phones or other RF devices such as TV's, microwaves, cell-phones etc...
• Not standing perfectly still on the platform
• A Low Battery (try a new battery)

Q: What type of maintenance is necessary?
A: There is simply no maintenance other than the use of alcohol to wipe the foot pads clean and glass cleaner to keep them shiny-always apply to a cloth first and then to the product; avoid soaps or any abrasive compounds (they may damage the finish of the scale).

Understanding Your Body Fat Percentage

Body fat measurements and the measuring tape are recognized as  superior methods for measuring "weight loss".  When one declares that they want to "lose weight", what they often mean is that they want to lose fat. So, now that you've had your body fat percentage measured, what does the number really mean? 

First, your body fat percentage is simply the percentage of fat your body contains.  If you are 150 pounds and 10% fat, it  means that your body consists of 15 pounds fat and 135 pounds lean body mass (bone, muscle, organ tissue, blood and everything else).

A certain amount of fat is essential to bodily functions.  Fat regulates body temperature, cushions and insulates organs and tissues and is the main form of the body's energy storage.  The following table describes body fat ranges and their associated categories:

*General Body Fat Percentage Categories

*American Council on Exercise

Classification	Women (% fat)	Men (% fat)
Essential Fat	10-12%	2-4%
Athletes	14-20%	6-13%
Fitness	21-24%	14-17%
Acceptable	25-31%	18-25%
Obese	32% plus	25% plus

 

Knowing your body fat percentage can also help you determine if your weight loss goals are realistic.  Remember, weight loss doesn't always mean fat loss. For example:

Let's say you're a 130lb woman with 23% body fat, and you goal is to "lose 20 pounds":

Initial body fat: 130 lb x 0.23 fat = 30 lb body fat

Lean body mass: 130 lb total - 30 lb fat = 100 lb lean body mass (bones, organs and all else)

Goal: 130lb - 20lb = 110 pounds

As you can see, the goal of losing 20 pounds is not realistic or healthy.   At 110 pounds, this woman still requires 100 lb of lean body mass (bones, organs, etc.), but would only be carrying 10 lb, or only 9%  body fat.   From the chart above, you can see that this is a dangerously low percentage.

A better goal might be for the woman to reduce her body fat from 23% to 18%.  In this case:

130 lb x 0.18 = 23 lb body fat

100 lb lean body mass + 23 lb = 123 lb goal weight

So, for this individual to achieve a lean, but healthy 18% fat, she would need to lose only 7 pounds of fat, reducing her weight from her current 130 pounds  to 123 pounds.  Losing more than 7 pounds means losing lean body mass (usually  metabolically-active muscle tissue), which is clearly not desirable.

So before you decide that you need to "lose weight", remember to consider that "weight" consists of both lean body mass and body fat.   Try to keep your weight loss goals realistic, and remember, keep the calorie-burning muscle, and lose only the fat.

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